


You’re the Moon that Breaks the Night

by QueenoftheRandomWord42



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Road Trip, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Art by mific, Bearded Steve Rogers, Bucky the Werewolf escaping from Hydra, Canon-Typical Violence, Captain America Reverse Big Bang 2018, Everyone is a good bro, Found Family, Hydra (Marvel), M/M, Not Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant, Not Captain America: Civil War (Movie) Compliant, Nurse! Steve Rogers, Some mention of medical issues in the past, werewolfs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-28
Updated: 2018-05-28
Packaged: 2019-05-14 18:56:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,454
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14775320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenoftheRandomWord42/pseuds/QueenoftheRandomWord42
Summary: Werewolf Road Trip AU!The Asset, Hydra's pet werewolf/hitman, takes an opportunity to escape from Hydra just days before the full moon with the intention of preventing another hit from taking place upon a pair of innocents, on the run he has to find a safe place to hide and prevent recapture.Steve Rogers takes some time off as a regular nurse to travel with his werewolf pack to Moon Ridge Park, a sanctuary for werewolves and other were-creatures and their family and friends to transform under the light of the full moon without worrying about outside interference. But what's Steve supposed to do about a hitchhiker they pick up on their way there?





	You’re the Moon that Breaks the Night

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mific](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mific/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Art for 'You're the Moon That Breaks the Night' - QueenoftheRandomWord42's story](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14721896) by [mific](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mific/pseuds/mific). 



> Art and Fic inspired by "Take Me to Church by Hozier, the fic title came from "Howl" by Florance and the Machine

The Asset could hear their footprints as he pressed himself further under the deck. He froze hoping the garbage he rolled in would be enough to mask his scent. His eyes were watering as his sense of smell grew stronger with the waxing moon.

He quietly counted under his breath to control the sneezing sensation he felt coming on, and he quietly pressed himself deeper under the dusty crawl space, feeling the dirt rub into his denim jacket and jeans.

Muscles clenched and unclenched as last month’s memory of waking up coated in blood, and his stomach churned remembering the smell, The Asset had enough, and he didn’t want to kill again. His silver metal hand quietly dug into the silty soil beneath, ready to dig into the ground and increase his grip before he’d make an explosive move forward to run.

“Where’s our Asset?” The Asset could hear Rumlow ask Rollins above his head.

“I thought you had him,” Rollins exclaimed defensively, “I was handling Schmidt and setting up the hit, if those idiots don’t pay by moonrise, then we unleash him.”

The Asset counted to thirty before he heard the floor creak and fade above his head, and he could hear Rollin’s audible sigh of relief.

“He’s in his crate with the scent markers of the targets.”

The Asset was glad that part of his plan was working, and he planned to get as far away from the source of that scent, he was expected to attack the adult and leave the juvenile.

The Asset listened intently and glanced at the stolen wristwatch he attached to his jacket. He had to bide his time and pray the timed alarm would go off and set up the 40-second window the Asset needed.

The purloined watch was slowly ticking to 23 hours and 47 minutes, the second hand slowly clicking from the 3…. the 4…

The Asset slowly began to shift and shuffle to the far edge of the crawl space under the floor, to the narrow vent just wide enough for him to wiggle out. Once he was out he’d have to sprint to cover in a 40 second time window.

He heard loud footprints over his head, and to increase his chances to remain undetected, he began to slow his breathing. The softer breaths combatting the adrenaline in his system. The reduced oxygen in his blood was enough to induce bradycardia. He couldn’t afford to have them hear his racing heartbeat or heavy breathing.

8….9….

The Asset slowly unscrewed the vent cover and gingerly pulled it out. The vent gave a creak and a squeak

“Did you hear something?” Rumlow asked, and Rollins gave a noncommittal grunt.

Their footsteps moved closer to their weapons.

The watch struck 23 hours, 47 minutes, and 35 seconds, the Asset’s heart sank.

The alarm didn’t go off.

Or so the Asset thought as his heart and stomach sank.

Pierce would be arriving soon, and his head handler would likely notice the dirt on the Asset’s clothing, or the missing pillow and clothing currently occupying his crate. As punishment, the Asset might go without meals, with the added benefit that the Asset would become even more vicious when the full moon rose.

Bam….Bam…Bam!

“Open up, it’s the Police!”

“Fuck! It’s the cops!” Rumlow swore and the Asset took advantage of the delayed alarm to pry the vent free and wiggle to freedom.

Rumlow and Rollins dove for their guns and took refuge behind the living room furniture, the coffee table overturned to protect them from the door of the cabin. Their backs were to the window which would be the view on the Asset’s escape route.

Once out the Asset jumped to his feet and began to sprint across the lawn, before him were pine trees, which he felt the branches brush against him, but the new growth was supple enough to brush but not break, and the scent of the trees added more to the disguise for the Asset’s scent.

“Wake up the Asset!” Rumlow ordered from his hiding spot twenty seconds into the Asset’s escape, just as the Asset disappeared into the trees.

As he ran, he could faintly hear Rumlow and Rollins shoot at the cabin door and the imaginary cops behind it.

Thirty seconds into his escape the Asset kept running in the grass next to a dried deer trail, thankful that the dry week was long enough so he didn’t have to worry about mud footprints. He could hear Rollins discover the decoy in his crate, and faintly he could hear Rumlow break down the door.

The forty-second window closed with Rumlow finding an old CD alarm clock outside the door and the bowling ball that fell down the porch steps, but by then the Asset had a head start at 23 hours 48 minutes and 15 seconds, just the distance he needed to give him the advantage while Rumlow and Rollins figured out it was his doing and make their pursuit.

The Asset could only hope that luck and fortune were on his side.

His inner wolf relished in the freedom of the run.

*******

The sun was slowly rising over the horizon filling the trees with watery light when the sounds of footsteps rhythmically hitting the pavement echoed into the slowly waking forest.

Around the corner he spied a dark figure appeared and he ran faster, a smirk filling his salty dry mouth as he picked up the pace a little. His heart pounded from the thrill of the chase.

He approached quickly, and before the figure could turn right onto a dirt trail he opened out his mouth to call out “on your left!” as he passed the figure and was about to enter the trail when he felt a gust of air pass him.

“On your left, old men!”

“Really?” Sam protested, “Steve I think you’re a bad influence on that kid!”

Steve laughed as much as his tired lungs could allow while Pietro smoked past the two in rapid steps.

“Hey, the sooner he wears himself out, the sooner he’ll sleep in the car.” Clint pointed out as he caught up with the two and followed Steve and Sam single file down the deer trail that was part of their route.

They kept running while a second trail forked into the main trail and two other runners joined them, running just before Sam and Steve.

“Don’t bother the road trail.” Wanda shouted, “Nothing to see there but rocks and highway.”

“Good to know!” Clint shouted and Steve took a deep breath, the cool morning air was filled with the loamy scent of earth, pine, and faint wildflowers.

Steve was glad he got a chance to take this break. Work with Dr. Erskine was fascinating, and Steve was always thrilled to help all the patients who came in and out of the clinic, but after a very intense tail end of flu season, Erskine gave Steve the time off before “my best nurse becomes another one of my patients, Steven.”

And there was another reason Steve was going on this trip. His mother had commissioned him to make a glass portrait of himself for her new living room window. Steve wasn’t going to have the stained-glass portrait be attached to the window but instead, hang in the new window his dad had remodeled.

Steve just wished his parents hadn’t thought to commission him during the full moon with his color vision was at it’s weakest, but Steve wasn’t going to complain, he had Sam’s improving color vision to help him with that.

“Don’t forget to put on sunscreen guys, the UV light’s going to be pretty intense today.” Sam reminded them as they approached the campsite. Steve rolled his eyes, but knowing enough of his Irish complexion, mentally mapped out the location of the sunscreen to put in his toiletries bag. It looked like Sam’s bird eyes were working perfectly.

Wanda tutted gently at her twin, as Pietro desperately clutched the back bumper of Steve’s blue bug while the kid was trying to re-catch his breath after sprinting the whole six-mile trail.

“Now what have we learned about pacing ourselves?” Sam asked with a smirk, and Pietro flipped him off good-naturedly.

“I…. Regret…. Nothing.” Pietro panted triumphantly.

“Well, as long as he’s sure.” Clint teased before called out. Natasha rolled her eyes, surveying the tents still left to pack.

“Alright, everyone, we still got about an hour before we need to pack up and get back on the road, we still have one day of travel before the full moon, and I’d like to take advantage of the Moon’s Ridge Park when it happens,” Natasha ordered.

“We’ll need to shower first, as I don’t think anyone wants to be trapped in the car with sweaty bodies, so we’ll need to shower, change, finish packing, and we’ll head out for food and start driving,” Steve added, as the others tiredly nodding at the directions being handed out as they managed to will their muscles into relaxing.

“I’ll start packing.” Sam volunteered, and the boys quickly pulled a change of clothing and their toiletries, Steve waving the bottle of sunscreen in Sam’s direction to indicate that Steve heard him.

Natasha shooed Wanda with them to the camp showers, it was clear, she and Sam were to pack the tents and the last of the camping supplies, but everyone else was responsible for loading the cars while she and Sam showered.

Steve didn’t plan on staying long, because long years of showering before a shift taught Steve how to shower quick, and he left his shaving kit at home, so that saved a little time. Steve’s absentminded reflection certainly seemed to indicate that his beard was starting to look full and natural, likely due to the approaching moon.

“Man, some guys have all the luck,” Clint muttered, his beard coming in patchy like ruffled feathers.

They showered quickly, dressed quietly, the showers were starting to fill with families with small children. Steve shuffled out of the way before a little boy could accidentally kick him in the shins, Clint practically somersaulted over the kid’s head like a circus act, and Pietro simply stepped out of the way in a smooth transition which reminded Steve of liquid, Wanda simply avoided the crowds and beat them to camp.

Natasha also stood next to her, both tents were rolled up and the duffels in a pile ready to be sorted by car and packed. Natasha’s truck stood with the canopy and back hatch open, like a large maw open and ready to snap.

“Alright, A deal’s a deal,” Natasha said with a relieved smile.

“Right, have a nice shower, and you might want to hurry, the showers were starting to become a madhouse with toddlers when we got there,” Clint called out, and Sam pulled the cooler to Natasha’s Truck.

“Thanks for the warning,” Sam said, his towel wrapped around his neck and his clean clothing was draped over his arm, the toiletry basket swinging in the other. Sam patted Steve on the shoulder, and the last two remaining members headed to the showers to get clean.

They packed in silence, the tents, duffels, and cold food cooler went to the back of Natasha’s truck, with Wanda and Pietro’s entertainment and Natasha’s spy novels in the cab for the drive.

Clint placed his and Sam’s stuff while Steve sorted and packed the glass Steve picked up on the trip so far. To protect the glass from the road, Steve used his sleeping bag and pillow to cushion the glass so it wouldn’t be crushed by their food and water. And plenty of room for souvenirs and more glass needed for the stained-glass portrait.

Steve heard a crunch and looked up.

“Clint, that trail mix needs to wait until after breakfast.”

“But it’s so~o good,” Clint moaned, and Pietro shifted guiltily away from the trail mix bag.

“Of course it is, but we’re saving that for the road.”

“Alright, alright, did anyone tell you that you've got the disappointed dad stare down?” Pietro surrendered, and Wanda giggled.

“Rogers family secret,” Steve teased, remembering his own father’s reaction when Steve mimicked him when Steve tried to logic his way-out bedtime and tried to win the losing argument by staring him down when he was five. Joseph Rogers had to bite his lower lip so he wouldn’t laugh at his son’s expression, or bend and let little Stevie stay up another hour when the kid was asleep on his feet.

“You got everything?” Clint asked, and Steve looked back to see a freshly showered Natasha standing by the truck, Wanda, and Pietro climbing into the cab.

“I think so.” Steve nodded.

“Well, let’s get breakfast.”

Sam was already sitting in his seat, patiently waiting for everyone to finish this leg of their camp trip and keep going.

The two cars, in the first car, was Natasha, Clint, and the twins, in the second car Steve and Sam, and they left the campgrounds to find a small café on the edge of the nearest town three miles out, and the parking lot was packed except for two parking spots.

Natasha who got there first got the parking spot closest to the café, Steve had to park on the opposite end, with the blue slug bug facing an outcrop of trees.

They walked to the café and began to buy breakfast.

What they didn’t know was the hitchhiker they were about to pick up.

*******

The Asset had been running all night, his two human legs ached, and his feet complained, but he was too wired to stop, but his knowledge of his own limits made it clear he’d have to stop and hide if he wanted more energy to shake off his pursuers.

The Asset felt the salty slimy sensation coating his mouth and throat, meaning that he also would need some water to replenish his thirst too, the tightness of his stomach reminding him he would need to eat.

Meanwhile, Rumlow and Rollins would have likely called up reinforcements, and that meant fresh pursuers ready to pick up the chase until the Asset was too weak to continue.

He shuddered at the mental image of them nipping at his heels like a pack of wolves isolating a young bison calf that they had separated from its herd until it was too tired, hungry, or thirsty to fight them off.

The Asset kept moving forward, there had to be a place to shake off pursuit before the Hydras caught up.

Then the tree branches stopped brushing his face, and he nearly tripped on the ground which changed from lightly lumpy from tree roots and shrubbery, to flat mowed lots and paved sidewalks.

The Asset scanned his surroundings and saw buildings, his eyes picking out logos and signs, saying things like “Diner” and “Gas station” and quickly ducked low by some parked cars nearby, but his stomach sank.

Gone was the shelter of the trees and the dark of the night, here in the morning and exposure of civilization meant that he had little time to find a place to hide, as it was only a matter of time before he’d be found.

Hearing from the distance the sound of the Hydra search party, and to the Asset’s correct guess was a bigger party than just Rumlow and Rollins, he had little time to lose. Thinking quick, hoping to buy time, he spotted a small blue car near the trees and raced towards it.

Above it was a sign labeled “24-hour Diner” and the Asset noticed that the security camera didn’t have its recording lights on. It’d be a gamble, but he could take advantage of the situation.

His first thought was to steal it, as he quickly remembered the various methods he could use to picklock an old car like this, but as he approached the driver’s side, he reconsidered.

A stolen car while ideal in giving him the distance would only serve to give Hydra a reason to get the justice system to track him down, and as he had stopped running, exhaustion fogged his mind.

On the road in this condition, he’d be more likely to crash it than get away, and while death would guarantee an escape, the Asset did not want to die just yet.

The Asset instead looked at the front of the Volkswagen Beetle, where the trunk would be located.

He could hide in there and knew enough about cars to sneak back out when the Beetle reached its next destination, and if he didn’t know where it was going, Hydra wouldn’t, as the out of state license plate implied that the car wasn’t native here.

Or at best it’d give him a place to hide until Hydra passed and he’d pick a different direction to run, giving him more time, but he had to hurry if he waited any longer Hydra might find him.

He picked the driver side door open, opened the trunk hatch, relocked the driver’s side door, closed it, and ran to the trunk.

It was full of sleeping bags, water bottles, and packets of nuts and jerky, among other camping supplies, and while there wasn’t much room, the Asset had made due with less in the past. The Asset wedged himself between the sleeping bags and the back of the trunk, and carefully pulled the trunk closed with a weak click.

In the darkness he wiggled deeper in, pulled a plastic water bottle out to drink, not caring if he was spilling some on himself and froze when he heard footsteps approach, the Asset strained his ears to hear the unfamiliar voices outside, then the car doors opening, closing, and the rear engine of the vehicle roared to life, and the Asset felt the car begin to move.

He stayed quiet until the radio filled his ears, confirming that this wasn’t Hydra, but the owners of the car, and relieved that he bought himself enough time, quietly pulled over a bag of nuts and began to eat a few, and once his needs were sated, fell asleep in the rocking motion of the car.

*******

“I swear I think you passed a wet dog that rolled in pine-sol soaked garbage Steve,” Sam muttered as he tried to crack open the window.

“Weird, I don’t remember seeing or hearing anything.” Steve pondered, wondering why the scent wasn’t fading. That was the problem with a strong nose, sometimes you’d smell something even after it was long gone or would grow so strong that you’d develop a headache.

Steve felt some relief as the cool air from outside wafted in quickly.

The fresh air helped, but Steve kept his eyes on the road and could see Natasha’s car up ahead, and then Steve caught sight of the National park signs thirty miles ahead. He relaxed a little, as that meant that they’d be out of the car within the hour.

The Park meant campgrounds in the area, getting to the campground meant setting up camp, which meant getting comfortable, which meant Steve would get a chance to sketch out his latest project. Then tonight they’d hike to the transformation zones by the time the moon rose.

A song about a man singing about a “deathless death” came over the radio and Steve quietly mouthed along to the lyrics.

Before Sam could comment on how Steve knew the lyrics, Clint’s phone buzzed.

“I called it! I so called it!” He shouted triumphantly and passed his phone to Sam.

“It’s from Wanda,” Sam explained when Steve glanced at Sam’s direction, “Pietro’s out like a light.”

“I told you so.” Clint crooned from his seat.

Then Steve heard something go bang in his trunk.

“What was that?” Sam asked.

“Sounded like you hit something,” Clint pointed out, and Steve hit the blinker and pulled over to the side of the road, “I’ll text Wanda and let her know what happened.”

When the car was off Steve stepped out, the tires appeared fine, as did the back bumper, and the front bumper, nervously, Steve inhaled.

His eyes watered when the scent from earlier wafted into his nose, and this time, he had a strong suspicion.

“Sam, open the trunk, I think we got a raccoon or something in there…”

*******

The Asset dreamed, and he knew he was dreaming because life in dreams had a plasticity and in some cases a familiarity.

For example, he had a name.

_“Mom?” He asked holding his mother’s hand as she looked at him all worn and tired._

_He was smaller in this dream, or perhaps his mother had always seemed like a giant to him._

_“Are you sure?”_

_“Of course, ma’am, you mentioned that his symptoms manifested after the accident?” The Head handler in the white lab coat replied consulting a clipboard, and his mother nodded._

_The Asset felt groggy, and could barely move, either in dream logic where his limbs had been replaced by lead, or he was drugged enough to barely move._

_The Asset’s head handler pursed his lips and looking gentle in a way to convince the asset to trust him, peered at the woman next to the much smaller Asset, “As my associate, Zola has shown you, I’m afraid we found he tested positive for the HIV virus.”_

_He wrinkled his nose in the first subtle bitter scent that he picked up but would later use to pick apart the lies of targets as an adult, but as a pup hadn’t figured that out yet._

_His mother gasped, “But how? He’s only fourteen.”_

_“I’m afraid a contaminated blood sample may have passed inspection and during the amputation, the donated blood we used may have exposed him to the virus, I am very sorry Mrs. Barnes.”_

_His mother’s eyes brightened with tears and she held Bucky’s remaining hand._

_“Is there anything we can do?”_

_“There is an experimental drug we might use on your son, it has an eighty percent chance of success on lab rats, and we’re confident it’ll help him,” The Asset’s handler “But if you fill out the paper, and sign this waiver, we can give your son the first treatment today.”_

_His mother signed it without reading it, and then kissed his forehead, “Mommy’s going to be right here, and I’m going to make sure everything’s alright.”_

_The Asset felt the familiar pinprick and suddenly found it hard to breathe._

_“What’s happening?” His mother demanded frantically, and the Asset tried to fight off the doctor but his limbs grew heavy as if his arm and legs were filled with lead and the world was turning black._

_“He’s having a rare reaction, he must be allergic, we need to act quickly if we’re able to save him.”_

The Asset kicked, and instead of soft yielding air, the Asset was pulled into wakefulness as his leg hit something metallic and covered in carpet, the bright doctor’s office was replaced by the darkness of his sanctuary. His shin stung as it brushed against something sharp, and the Asset reached down with his flesh hand and palpated the surface, his pant leg had been pushed up, allowing something hard and sharp to scrape his leg.

The vehicle slowed and then stopped.

“Sam, open the trunk, I think we got a raccoon or something in there…”

*******

Sam cautiously popped the trunk open, and Steve pulled it open slowly, his ears straining to hear the wild animal inside, and ready to leap out of biting range if the animal felt cornered, stepping to the side so the animal wouldn’t feel cornered.

Steve almost expected the explosive amount of movement when something unexpectedly large creature in black leather pop out of the trunk and leaped down in a hunched position.

Steve stumbled, but caught his balance, startled and took stock of what he was looking at.

“Steve!” Sam and Clint chorused in concern as they scrambled out of the car.

The Stranger was rapidly blinking as his eyes were adjusting to the shift in the light while scrambling to get his bearings.

Steve could smell the filth on this man, the smell of sour food and sweat the man was covered in, and underneath, Steve could smell the sharp bitter smell of stress and the musty earthy smell of wolf.

“Hey, hey, It’s okay, you’re safe.” Steve began gently, forcing his body language to project calm and gentle.

Sam and Clint took their place, Sam at Steve’s left, Clint at Steve’s right, and the stranger backed a little from them almost like a cornered elk boxed in by a pack of wolves.

“You’re among friends,” Steve coaxed, mostly because he didn’t want anyone to get hurt. “Who are you?”

The man froze, and sat in confused contemplation before he said quietly, almost like he was confused and nervous, “…Bucky?”

“Okay, Bucky, what are you doing in the trunk of my car?”

“Sleeping.”

“Why were you in the trunk of my car?” Steve added, a little worried, not to mention bewildered that he had to ask such a question. Then he inhaled the scent of the wolf, which could only mean that he was dealing with another werewolf, “Are you separated from your pack?”

“No pack.”

Steve’s inner wolf twanged in sympathy pain, and Steve knew how unbearable the transformations were when one transformed alone, a lonely childhood made sure of that.

“We’re headed to Moon’s Ridge Park,” Steve began, as Moon’s Ridge Park was a popular place for were-shifters to travel and transform under the gravitational pull of the full moon and transform without the smell of pure humans to bother or distract them. “Do you want to go there, or do you have a different place in mind?”

“Steve, what are you doing?” Sam whispered.

“Yeah, we don’t know anything about this guy,” Clint added.

Bucky shifted uneasily, and glanced quickly to notice incoming cars, and then nodded, “Might be a good place to start.”

“To start what?” Steve asked.

Bucky didn’t answer.

“Well, it’s the middle of nowhere, we might as well give you a ride to somewhere,” Steve insisted.

Bucky sat in silence, and with the way he was eyeing the trees, Steve believed for a second that he was going to refuse him, and he nodded.

“Moon Ridge works for now.”

“Great, it’s a huge were sanctuary so after the full moon

“Okay, well I’m going to text Nat, she’s having Wanda ask us for updates,” Clint observed, glancing at his phone as it continued to vibrate in his hand. He then walked back to his open car door and then turned to Sam.

“Hey Sam, could you grab that trail mix of yours? I think it’s time for some food.”

“Got it,” Sam responded, then he moved to pass Bucky, “Excuse me.”

Bucky scooted to stand next to Steve. Steve remembered and Steve offered him a moist towelette, “It’s going to be stuffy in the car.”

Bucky took it, and after slowly eyeing Steve, and the towelette began to wipe himself down, his back to the road, Steve then caught a faint whiff of something metallic and tangy.

“Uh Steve, there’s blood on your stained glass…” Sam began, holding what looked like a partially full bag, in one hand, and Steve’s package of stained glass, with some burnt sienna on one of the edges in the other.

Steve felt his stomach tighten, and his face cool as he quickly turned to Bucky, quickly scanning the man for obvious injury. The smell of blood on both the glass and Bucky was too fresh to be anything but recent.

“You’re hurt?” Steve asked, and seeing as it was his glass that hurt the man, felt the strong twinge of responsibility and guilt.

And like any apex predator in the wild, Bucky continued to hide his injury, But Steve noticed in a blink and you miss it way, that Bucky was favoring his right leg.

“I’m a nurse, if you’ll roll up your pant leg, I can treat your injury.” Steve coaxed, gesturing for Sam to get the first aid kit, which Sam quickly pulled out. Steve thanked his lucky stars for being a nurse like his mother, and Sam being a paramedic, so that first aid kit was well stocked and varied.

Bucky eyed them nervously, but Steve dealt with difficult patients before. “It’s alright, you can tell me when to stop.”

Bucky took a deep breath and probably could smell Steve’s earnest desire to help because he moved to the side of the car, and crouched down on his left leg, holding his right leg out. Steve could see the man held himself taut as a bowstring as if the smallest surprise would cause him to spring into action and flee.

Steve slowly telegraphed his movements as Sam stood back and manned the kit, giving Bucky space. Steve slowly rolled up the pant leg and saw a trickle of blood along a long but very shallow cut.

“You don’t need stitches,” Steve sighed in relief.

Sam passed over the disinfecting wipes and hand sanitizer.

“Yes Natasha, we seemed to have picked up a stray, Steve’s tending to him now… Okay, I’ll tell him…. Steve, Natasha says ‘again?! Weren’t the twins enough?’ and now Pietro is laughing.” Clint reported from his spot by his open car door.

Steve rolled his eyes at Clint, and then observed the cut more closely, and bought one of the disinfecting alcohol wipes.

“This is going to sting,” Steve coached as he telegraphed his movements, from cradling the injured leg with one hand, and moving the disinfecting wipe to the cut with the other. Steve could feel Bucky’s eyes tracking his every movement.

Steve gently pressed the wipe on the cut, and for a moment he saw a flash of movement and a high-pitched whine.

Sam tensed and moved forward before he froze, and Steve backed up a little but paused.

Bucky continued to hold his leg out and had a hard grip on the gravel beneath his hands and was quivering just a little bit.

“It’s okay we’ve got this,” Steve whispered reassuringly as he gingerly continued to dab and clean the cut. When the bleeding stopped and the cut was clean, Steve judging by the length of the cut, cut the gauze along the wound before taping the cleaned wound and surrounding skin closed.

“That’ll keep the cut clean until it heals,” Steve reassured him. “Sam do we have a lollipop?”

“All we’ve got are nuts, goat cheese, and plums Steve,” Sam reported, already pulling the snacks out for the group to enjoy in the cab of the car.

Bucky just seemed relieved to grab another handful of the nuts and a few pieces of cheese, and then he climbed into the back with Clint.

They started moving, Steve switching seats with Sam as they continued, and Steve pretended not to notice the low crouched position Bucky seemed to take for the next few hours, and soon they kept going, Sam driving with the windows down, while Clint quickly fell asleep.

Bucky seemed alert and content to hide, soon working his way through more trail mix, a plum and a few pieces of cheese. The group snacked instead of stopping for Lunch, and soon reached their campsite, Natasha standing looking like an impatient mother waiting to scold her late child, at their camp site’s parking spot while Wanda and Pietro were pitching the girl’s tent.

“So, I take it it’s time for the rest of the pack to meet our new stray?” She asked dropping the stern disapproval with a raised eyebrow and a cocked grin when Steve climbed out of the car.

The Twins stopped pitching the tent, causing it to collapse under its own weight for the group to be fully reunited.

“Of course, Natasha, this is Bucky, Bucky this is Natasha, and the twins are Wanda and Pietro,” Steve explained as Bucky crept out of the car quietly and looked ready to bolt as the twins approached.

*******

The Asset tensed ready to bolt as the rest of the pack were reuniting amongst each other like some joyous family reunion of members who loved each other but hadn’t seen each other in years, which judging from their hour's old scents on each other, couldn’t be farther from the truth.

The Asset nervously tried to edge further away from the group, perhaps he could run now before anyone noticed.

He glanced at the approaching twins, greeted them a little stiffly, and when the rest of the group divided up the campsite chores, the one called Sam kindly handed him a small shaving kit, a towel, spare clothing that smelled vaguely of himself and Steve, and a bag of toiletries.

“No offense, but I think you’ll feel a lot more comfortable after a long day in the car after you’ve showered.” Sam explained, “and if you need a little privacy to decompress that might be the best time.”

Buc—no, the Asset, couldn’t believe his luck, a chance to change his scent, a new disguise and a chance to escape? He quietly thanked Sam, noting that some of the hairs on Sam’s hairline were already forming sheaths that would transform that hair into feathers come closer to moon rise. To an ordinary human that probably would look unsettling, but to Bucky, it only confirmed that Sam was a were-bird of some kind, and judging from the quick movements, and slight figure, likely a falcon or other small bird of prey.

The Asset made his way to the showers, which were an attachment to the bathrooms with a small chamber with a small wall divider to keep the water from the shower from getting the sink, mirror, and small wooden benches wet, while there were plastic white benches attached to the wall of the shower section, with a metal drain on the bottom of the pavement with grooves for drainage and to provide grip of wet bare feet.

The Asset showered, realized that the shampoo was small, like the kind the Asset saw in hotels in the past and luxuriated in the conditioner, which didn’t offer much of a scent, which the Asset was grateful for, because, with the coming full moon, perfumes would have given the Asset a headache from the powerful scent.

The Soap was the kind that removed dirt, oils, and other without adding much of a scent either, which the Asset approved, all the more to make it more difficult for Hydra to track him by his scent.

And the clothing offered him to smell like Steve and his pack.

The Asset rinsed off, but instead of dashing out of the hot water to dry off and prepare to run, the Asset stood under the hot water, and just let himself soak until the shower’s timer ended, and the water stopped.

The Asset shook the water out of his ears, giving him the whole-body shudder and his hair flew around.

He finished grooming quickly, dried and dressed before the cold air could make that chore unpleasant.

He wrapped his hair in the towel like the Asset hand observed women with long hair doing from a distance, in the hopes that dryer hair would collect less debris when he dashes into the undergrowth to flee.

He walked out of the showers and bumped into a tall imposing figure.

The man was tall, blonde hair that had pin feather sheathes and muscular, and had a huge grin.

Bucky caught the scent of a bird, bringing him back to stolen moments of his childhood where he played with wild crows as a pup before hydra would find them, kill the crows, and punish him. Then the family members of those crows would mob him any chance they had until Hydra retransferred him and the base was abandoned.

This were-crow however, didn’t appear to mob him.

“Greetings, it looks like you’re the newest member of Steven’s pack! I’m Thor, and it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” Thor announced before he shook Bucky’s hand, the calluses on his large hands trapped the Asset’s smaller hand.

Looks like Bucky would have to wait before he ran…

“I’m so glad you could join us, my flock and I are always happy to greet newcomers, is this your first full moon at the park?” Thor gushed good-naturedly, and the Asset nodded.

“Well, we can’t always all meet up for every full moon, but we try to get at least once a year, which I’m sure Steven’s already told you about, and everyone will be happy to meet you, and just relax, we’re here to be ourselves for fun. The barbecue will be in about twenty, which will make the transformations easier."

"It will?" This was news to Bucky, who never had a meal before his transformations.

Thor looked taken aback.

“I-I mean of course it will,” Bucky covered, realizing he needed to pass off as normal, “I’ve just been so busy I sometimes forget to eat before the full moon.”

“Oh,” Thor said, slowly relaxing, “I had a job like that, sometimes we lose track of the lunar phase, my friend Sif actually transformed in the middle of a shift once, her boss was surprised why there was suddenly a raven at her desk, but she had bag of nuts to sustain herself during the transformation.”

“Sounds like she was prepared,” Bucky observed, which appeared to be the right thing to say.

“Any dietary restrictions?” Thor asked as they approached a large picnic area which had several barbecues full of fire and a wide variety of scents.

Bucky shook his head.

“Well, if you wish for vegetarian foods, go ask the gorillas, they have a surprisingly good recipe for portabella mushroom burgers, the younger panther has some wonderful games, they were…tardigrade I think, he requires the pitcher of water when the moon rises, has a lot of Mexican food if that’s your preference.”

“What’s a Tardigrade?” Bucky asked.

But it appeared Thor didn’t hear him as they were greeted by a wide variety of people, Steve’s pack among them. The twins were playing with a young black woman about their age, Natasha and Clint were laughing with some guy next to a plate of tacos, and Sam was playing with a mixed bunch of children, a frisbee disk flying from person to person, and Steve was sketching something while talking to a middle-aged woman with her silver hair held back in multiple little braids.

Thor waved at a slight young man with black hair, penchant for dressing in black and green, and pin feathers appearing at his hairline, gave Bucky a chance to excuse himself and he sat next to Steve.

“Hey Bucky,” Steve greeted, and he handed Bucky a paper plate, “You can dish up if you’re hungry.”

Bucky accepted it but remained in his seat. He glanced at what Steve was drawing.

“Is that a picture of you?” Bucky asked.

“Oh, yeah, sometimes I make stained glass windows, and my parents wanted my next piece,” Steve explained, and Bucky followed the geometric patterns, and it appeared Steve added a star inside some concentric circles. “Now to pick a color for those…” Steve muttered tapping one of the other stars.

“Red.”

“Huh?” Steve asked, and Bucky shrugged.

“I don’t see red all that often, but it’s a good color to stand out from the other colors.”

Steve looked at the sketch musingly.

“I think you did a good job, and I think your parents will love it,” the woman said as she got up.

Bucky paused when he caught a whiff of that woman’s scent. Her scent wasn’t overlaying a secondary animalistic scent, almost like she was just human, but that couldn’t be…

“Looks like Tony’s here,” Steve observed.

Bucky looked up in confusion and was startled to notice some nice cars driving up the road.

They parked close to a large gazebo where some of the grills sat.

Steve got up, and Bucky watched him leave to greet the newcomers, his body language calm if a little friendly.

Bucky watched as one of the car doors opened, and a shorter man with a goatee and slightly curly hair and a band tee shirt climbed out, and out of the other side, a kid, and two human women, one with bright orange hair and the other with dark brown, matching the kid.

The wind picked up, and the Asset discovered he was downwind, and two similar familiar scents filled his nose, causing him to jump up.

Then he shook his head, there was no way his targets would be here.

“Hey Bucky,” Wanda called, “Are you ready to eat?”

Bucky’s stomach growled in response.

*******

“Tony! You made it!” Steve greeted his old friend.

“I told you I was coming, I was just running late,” Tony said, “But I’d like to introduce you to someone, Pepper you know, but this is my intern Peter Parker, and his lovely Aunt, May Parker.”

“A pleasure, I’m Steve Rogers,” Steve said as he shook their hands, and Steve hugged Pepper.

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Rogers,” Peter greeted almost shyly, the teenager grinning.

“Please, call me Steve,” Steve insisted.

“So, I heard you had a pair of newcomers to your pack?” Pepper asked.

“Three as of today,” Steve explained, “This is the twin’s first time at the park, and we picked up Bucky on our way here.” Then he paused, “Just be nice to Bucky, we think he’s been through a lot.”

Pepper nodded, “I see, well I’d be happy to meet him.”

“Still picking up strays I see,” Tony observed.

Behind them Happy, Rhodey unloaded a few cases, and a few of the stark industry employees began unpacking large lights and installing them around the field.

“There, now us diurnal shifters can see when we transform,” Rhodey remarked with a grin before he reached over to hug Steve.

Steve noticed that some of the hair on Rhodey’s head was already turning white, and Rhodey raised an eyebrow “Still going to see who’s the most patriotic?”

“Says the man who turns into a bald eagle during the full moon.” Steve teased.

“Do I need to put Captain America or Iron Patriot on name tags again?” Pepper asked with a wry grin.

“No.” Both men said in unison.

“I take it there’s a running joke here,” May said.

“Rhodey turns into a bald eagle and served in the air force, and Steve here’s born on the fourth of July and is an American strain were-wolf, they like teasing each other about that,” Tony explained.

“Where did those nicknames come from?” Peter asked.

“Tony,” Rhodey explained, and Steve had to agree that was explanation enough.

“So, do you guys want to meet the twins and Bucky?” Steve asked, and Steve quickly found the twins, Pietro tired from all the running he did, and Wanda was eating dinner with Bucky, Shuri, and M’Baku, the silverback of the gorillas.

Bucky appeared to relax a little and appeared to be working his way through a mushroom burger and a normal beef burger, Steve was glad to see that, because that meant that Bucky would have an easy transformation.

As Steve lead the newcomers to meet the rest of his pack, Steve could feel the wind shifted from his side to his back, blowing his scent to Bucky and Wanda.

Wanda looked up, pleased to see him, putting her camera down like she was demonstrating how to take a selfie, but Bucky looked up a little startled at Steve’s sudden appearance, and apparently made an excuse as he got up and headed towards the campground’s bathrooms.

Steve almost paused, but Wanda got up and greeted them, as did Shuri, the youngest of the panther-shifters.

Peter started to relax, and they were soon playing with each other, Steve noticed that the kid’s aunt also seemed to loosen her guard.

Steve turned to Tony, who shrugged and didn’t say anything, and Steve didn’t bother to ask, it was none of his business.

*******

Bucky left the bathrooms, feeling a little sheepish that he ran away, but he wasn’t sure he could disobey the orders, even if there was no handler there to order him to take out the adult target and capture and subdue the juvenile. The Asset could see why Hydra would want the young one, he was about the same age as the Asset was before he became the Asset.

He felt the moon begin to approach and was comfortably full, and he wondered if that meant he’d be less tired come morning.

The Asset just hoped he could resist…

“Are you sure nobody’s going to follow us here Mr. Stark?” The Juvenile Target asked the strange adult from around the bathroom corner, it sounded like he was trying to keep his voice down and the Asset had the bad luck of being in the correct spot to hear him.

“I promise you that you and your aunt will be safe, and yes it was shitty of your old landlord to make you two targets of Hydra. But this land, before my father turned it into a sanctuary belonged to my family, so you guys will be in safe hands. Everyone here’s not about to let a hit man get to you, besides no one else knows you’re here,” The adult, the “Mister Stark” seemed to reassure the Target.

The Asset swallowed nervously and backed away before the full moon would rise and he’d be forced to follow his orders.

The Kid didn’t even seem to be a threat at all.

“But what about the European strain? I thought they were targeting them because they were more vicious than normal werewolves?” the Juvenile target asked.

“Peter, that’s a load of bull shit, I have the European strain, and that just simply means that the scent of humans doesn’t terrify me. It doesn’t make me anymore dangerous than any guy on the street or excuses me from having any form of self-control. If I were to go wild and bite someone tonight, that would be on me, and as you can see kid, I can control my other form enough to not bite anybody.” Mr. Stark barked sounding firm. “So just relax, being a European strain werewolf isn’t anything to be ashamed of.”

The Juvenile target began to relax, and Bucky slowly backed away. He got out of Hydra for a reason, and he didn’t want that kid taking his place either.

There had to be something the Asset could do to get away from Hydra, and the first thing that would cement that was making sure that the Adult target lived, and the Juvenile stayed out of Hydra’s grasp. He might have to run when the full moon rose and stay away…

“There you are,” Steve said as he approached Bucky from downwind, but Bucky didn’t even notice his approach. His open body language made it clear to Bucky how happy he was to see him. “Come on, it’s almost time for the moon to rise.”

Bucky was startled to realize just how dark it had gotten.

But it was too late for him to run, he could feel the moon begin to rise in his blood.

Steve lead Bucky back to the clearing, and he could hear what sounded like a couple having a friendly argument in the distance.

“Nakia, I thought tonight was your night off?” the young man, one of the panther-shifters as asking one of his companions while she looked at her phone unhappily.

“It is my night off, but a mafia-like gang which has connections to were-wolf trafficking has been spotted in the area, and we might want to let people know, as Hydra’s likely to target isolated individuals, and we need to have additional security,” The woman explained, “I just got the call from headquarters, so I’m going to inform the heads of the packs, and Silverback M’Baku, and make sure that everyone has a safe night while we increase security.”

The Asset froze, they’ve found him, and they were coming for either him or the targets. It wasn’t safe, and he may have to run, draw Hydra away from the targets.

“We’ll set up a light system to keep Hydra away, if we can see them, they won’t come after us.”

“Spoken like a true nocturnal predator, T’Challa,” Nakia reported. “I’m going to talk to your mother, Okoye, and inform the heads of the packs, as the head of your pride, I expect you to inform your sister.”

“Very well,” T’Challa repeated, and Nakia gave him a kiss on the cheek as he walked towards the playing teenagers. Nakia spotted Steve and Bucky, and judging from Steve’s solemn look, and Bucky’s pale nervous face, she looked grim. “I take it you heard all that?”

“Yes, I’m going to inform my pack now, and Tony if I get to him first,” Steve said, and Bucky felt Steve’s hand rest on his shoulder in what he decided must have been a comforting squeeze. Bucky, however, could feel nothing but dread.

“Thank you, Steve, let’s hope tonight’s shifting is peaceful,” Nakia nodded, and she left.

Bucky glanced at Steve and saw that Steve was definitely one of the Alphas of his pack, as his face became serious and determined. Bucky felt glad that he was on Steve’s side.

Natasha and Clint looked up from their picnic table as the alleged were-tardigrade—Bucky still had no idea what that was—was taking off his shirt and leaning towards a pitcher of water, and Natasha caught on to Steve’s grim expression.

“What is it?” She asked without any prompting.

“Hydra is coming, we think they might be after some easy targets, but we need to be on our guard, nobody leaves the clearing unless necessary,” Steve reported, “and we’re going to need to be alert to any danger.”

“Thanks for the warning Cap, but I have a feeling that things aren’t going to go according to plan, so watch for that.” The were-tardigrade announced, he was growing shorter and stubbier and leaning over the pitcher of water.

“Thanks, Wade.” Steve called out, and the guy shrank until he was small enough to leap into the pitcher of water with a splash with a shout of “Don’t do what I wouldn’t do!”

“Weird guy…” Clint muttered with a grin.

“Let’s get the twins and Sam, Sam’s almost in bird form already,” Steve announced before a falcon screech filled their ears, and a falcon already leaped down from one of the trees, and landed on Steve’s shoulders, talons placed surprisingly gentle on Steve’s shoulder.

“I stand corrected.”

“What’s going on?” Wanda asked as she and Pietro approached, “The heads of all the packs are looking a little nervous.”

Steve explained everything Nakia told them, and everyone seemed to move closer together into the center of the field.

The Asset felt horrible, he brought those monsters here, and these people had been so kind to him, he would have to divert their attention, and if Hydra caught him… well, Bucky remembered how worried the Juvenile Target was, and perhaps Hydra would punish him and forget all about the targets for his escape if he managed to make enough distance between him and the park.

Nakia shouted from the center of the clearing, looks like it was time for moonrise.

Lamps flooded the woods around the clearing, and the clearing itself was bright and warmly lit, allowing both nocturnal and diurnal creatures to roam the space.

“As the new safety regulations, we are to stay in this clearing and utilize the buddy system, nobody leaves the clearing alone, and law enforcement officers are nearby to ensure our protection, so everybody please stay safe and have a fun night,” Nakia announced.

Everyone began to mutter among themselves, and some of them began to remove their clothing, and the full moon climbed above the horizon.

The shift was smooth, and a little itchy as fur came in thicker and fuller, as sounds had gotten louder, any remaining reds Bucky could see during the day faded into dull browns, the greens into greys, and his nose which grew into a long canine snout. His metal left arm shifted into a paw, and the Asset pulled off his jacket, shirt, and pants as the dark brown-black fur-coated his entire body.

Within minutes, the entire forest was filled with a handful of humans, wolves, cats species of many kinds, birds, a troop of gorillas, and a few ripples from the water pitcher on the picnic table.

The adults formed a ring around the middle, and the Asset could see the Adult target in her average human form kneel down to scratch behind the ears of her werewolf nephew, while the red-headed woman who arrived with the other wolf pack began to scratch the head of a large male wolf and a large bald eagle.

In Clint’s place, a Hawke was perched on the back of a cheetah which smelled like Pietro while the female wolf Wanda licked her brother’s cheek. Tawny Natasha and almost golden Steve began to pace around their pack protectively, and the Asset, the Asset waited, and as soon as he could, broke out of the ring of protection and made a mad dash for the trees.

*******

Steve was startled when he felt Bucky bolt, and he barked for him to come back, but Steve could see a pair of dark paws disappear into the darkness.

He glanced around at his pack before they nodded, forming the protective ring where Steve and Bucky would fill. Steve whined his appreciation and took off after Bucky.

He could smell Bucky’s faint scent, but it was carefully masked, making it hard to pick it out with all the extra scents the forest provided. Steve inhaled and focused, Bucky’s trail began to appear before his nose.

He followed it, and as he picked up the pace, he suddenly could hear Bucky’s footsteps and the sound of the brush against his fur.

Steve went from a rapid jog into a flat sprint, the forest wove around, Steve’s vision was always a little blurrier at night, but that was simply a result of wolf night vision reflecting more light into the retina to pick up the low light. But Steve relied on the scent of Bucky’s trail and the sound of Bucky ahead of him.

He caught up when he saw Bucky ahead and closed the gap between them.

**  
Steve’s lungs burned from the run, but his heart began to race with the enjoyment of the run, the runner’s high flooding his system.

Bucky turned his head a little and Steve could see his eyes shine in the moonlight.

Then Steve barked a warning, and Bucky barely turned his head in time to avoid the bolder, but his hind leg scrapped it with a high-pitched whine.

Steve barked and whined in sympathy and Bucky stopped running and started to limp. Steve could smell the blood. He whiffed in concern and gently licked Bucky’s muzzle to convince him to let him look.

Bucky pulled his injured leg—reinjured leg—and hunched around, almost ready to fight.

Steve whined again, gently coaxing and gentle. Bucky’s chops lifted a little, reminding Steve of heartwarming videos where an abused dog was gently shown affection for the first time and was uncertain if this kindness would lead to pain.

Steve remained calm and reassuring, and Bucky began to slow in his breathing, matching Steve’s.

Bucky’s ears slowly moved from drawn back in fear and aggression to a more relaxed forward tilt, his tail relaxing slowly.

Steve slowly moved his muzzle to Bucky’s wounded leg, and Bucky relented by stretching it forward.

Steve could smell the blood, and the little bit of dirt that got into the wound, the bolder successfully removed the bandage Steve has placed on it earlier, and the cut now had a scrape on top.

Steve whined gently in sympathy, and gently placed his tongue on the wound. Steve could taste the blood and dirt on it, so he slowly moved his tongue along the wound, taking some of the dirt away from it. He looked up to read Bucky’s body language, but Bucky held himself stiffly like he was trying to ignore the pain.

Steve spat the blood out of his mouth and tried again gently scrapping more dirt out of the wound.

Bucky slowly began to relax and turned down to peer at Steve, almost as if he was surprised that Steve could be so gentle in his wolf form.

Steve was baffled by the surprise but continued in his gentle wound cleaning until the wound was clean. Bucky returned the favor by cleaning Steve’s cheek, ears, neck and under the jaw.

Steve gently budded his head against Bucky’s and gestured his head towards the clearing.

Then they heard the sound of a twig snapping, and then Bucky growled.

“There you are, we’ve been looking all over for you, didn’t expect you to successfully return to your own kind,” A cold voice chuckled, as a muscle-bound man with a thin face, and spiked black hair who smelled faintly of blood and gunpowder stepped out of the undergrowth, a headlamp making it hard for Steve to see anything else.

Steve started growling too.

“Well, I think you’ll be happy to know, mission accomplished, and if we hadn’t followed you here, we wouldn’t have found your replacement, or his nosy aunt,” The stranger gloated.

Bucky yelped in fear and rushed forward with a snarl.

Steve saw before Bucky did that the enemy had a gun and moving fast, rammed into Bucky’s side and out of the way before the bullet could hit them.

A second man came up behind him.

“Rumlow, we can’t approach the clearing, there’s just too many agents around,” the second man reported.

“Rollins!” Rumlow exclaimed, and the second man turned his head, Steve realized that he had shoved Bucky so hard they had gotten out of the lamplight, and it wasn’t until Rumlow turned his attention back to them that they were back in the light.

Steve could feel Bucky relax a little but still held his attention to the two humans.

Steve’s inner wolf was frantic, his heart racing at the dangers these two men could bring to his pack, the human smell overwhelming his senses.

A soft lick on his cheek calmed his nerves.

They could do this.

Steve flicked his tail and shifted his shoulders, indicating he’d take down Rollins, giving Bucky a clear shot to take down Rumlow.

Bucky growled, crouched down, and charged, ducking under Rumlow’s gun and sinking his teeth into his arm, using his body’s momentum to throw Rumlow off his balance.

Steve rushed forward to knock Rollins off his feet, and when Rollins was on the ground he tried to fend off Steve. Steve gripped his teeth into the man’s sleeves to control his hands. Steve wasn’t aiming for the neck only with the intention to disarm instead of kill.

Rollins had no such qualms.

Steve barely saw the glint of metal in time, but he still wasn’t able to get out of the way as the knife sliced along his shoulder. Steve yelped.

Bucky let out a loud snarl and Rumlow shrieked before Steve felt something shove him out of the way and off Rollins, his shoulder flooding with pain and then he heard a click.

Rollins had regained his feet while Steve was disoriented, and the Steve was looking down the barrel of a gun, the moonlight glinting off the metal.

Steve froze on the other end of the gun; his legs froze as if they had been filled with lead. His heart was racing filling his ears with the sound of blood flow and his body was cold.

Then Steve heard it, faint at first, but growing louder and almost more powerful, like a war chant. It was the hooting of Gorillas, the howls of wolves and canines, the shrieks of birds, and the yowls of big cats, all coming together and seeping deep into Steve’s marrow, he joined in the howling, causing Rollins to jump and drop his gun, apparently Rollins stopped to listen to it the intimidating call.

Then Nakia appeared behind him with her own weapon and handcuffs.

“Jack Rollins and Brock Rumlow, you both are under arrest for two counts of attempted kidnapping, manslaughter, arms trafficking, and human trafficking. You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.” She said, Okoye helping by pinning Rumlow, mangled in the bloody face but still alive, and pulling his arms behind his back. The women handcuffed the two men, and Nakia lead them to a pair of police cars which were apparently filled with other members of Hydra.

Steve quietly began to clean his cut on his shoulder, and his pack circled him, gently nuzzling him and inspecting every inch of him for injuries. He allowed them to inspect him, hearing Wanda and Pietro’s worried whining hearing Pietro purr to comfort, something Steve rarely heard. Sam began preening his fur to clear the area around the injury of debris while Clint gently carried over some food and bandages for Steve. Natasha gently nipped him, the closest she’d ever get to scolding him for scaring her as she checked him for injuries.

A paramedic approached, ready to give Steve a checkup to make sure he wasn’t too badly injured and knew that Steve would have to give his statement when he shifted back into a human.

Steve waiting for hours before he metaphorically pulled his head up from under the kisses, cuddles of the pack and the gentle prodding and yes or no questions from the authorities before Steve was released, and he inhaled and realized something was missing.

Bucky was nowhere to be found.

*******

Bucky kept running, but the adrenaline of the fight and the sleep debt he had accumulated in the past twenty-four hours were catching up and he eventually slowed to a stop.

His heart was sick with worry, but after all, Steve had sacrificed for him, had gotten injured for him, Bucky knew they were better off without him.

His eyes burned and his head ached from the tiredness, and he almost missed the sound of a tree branch being shaken, then the rumble of something nearby announcing its presence.

Bucky stood where he was, lifting his head and looking at the source of the sound, recognizing it for what it was, but being too tired to run. It was a courtesy, not a threat because he could tell that if it truly wanted to hide from him, the panther wouldn’t have announced his presence.

Bucky tucked his tail down and held his ears flat to show that he was not a threat, but the panther jumped down from the tree and landed next to him before he started grooming nonchalantly as if what he had to say would be important enough to wait until morning.

Bucky stood there, observing the calm panther, realizing that he was trying to get Bucky to relax.

Loud footsteps, another announcement filled the surrounding trees.

“I’m Officer Nakia, and my partner Okoye and I could use your help,” the woman announced as she approached, “and I think we can help you if you’re who I think you are.”

Bucky perked up curiously and realized he was too tired to keep running.

***One Year Later***

“So, you’re done with that second stained-glass window project, and you brought it here?” Sam asked, already shifting into falcon form again.

Steve rubbed his shoulder, which stopped hurting long ago, but he kept hoping Bucky would reappear when he got back.

“You know he might not be here,” Sam warned softly, even when a month after the full moon Sam received a check in the mail labeled “For the Trail mix” and signed “From a friend.”

“And you know that he might be here,” Steve countered, glancing around the campgrounds looking for a clue. “He said he would if he was feeling up to it on Skype last week.”

Natasha called them over and walked over to the radio where NPR was reporting on the high-profile trial of an Alexander Peirce for fraud, kidnapping, and many other crimes.

The local district Attorney Nicholas J. Fury having to recuse himself but complied with investigations. Apparently, it wasn’t just Alexander Peirce but went all the way up to a senator too. One hell of a scandal, one where Bucky was unusually quiet, when the news break, and he refused to talk about it, so Steve distracted him with hijinks from one of his patients at Dr. Erskine’s office.

Steve, hearing that the last of Hydra was now behind bars, felt a little vindicated.

On the other side of the field, Thor was talking eagerly to two new faces, a man named Luis—a were-vaquita if Steve heard correctly—and Bruce Banner, a were-hippo, and Steve was suddenly glad that Tony thought to install a pool this year.

Peter Parker and his aunt May Parker were still enjoying the perks of joining Tony’s pack, if Facebook was to believed Peter just got a scholarship to for MIT.

Pepper drove up, parked the car, and Tony pulled out a car seat for little Morgan.

Steve reacted much like many young single people did around babies, cooing about how cute he was while at the same time mentally confirming that while it’s great their friends were reproducing, there was no way he was anywhere near ready for that kind of responsibility.

And now it was baby’s first full moon, a time when they would confirm if Morgan would take after Pepper or Tony, and Steve could see the slight nervousness in Tony’s eyes about the challenges the baby would have to face as he grew older.

Steve fiddled with the bubble wrap on top of the glass window and looked around to see if Bucky was nearby.

Then the T’Challa’s pride drove in, finding a parking spot, and Steve’s heart froze when a familiar scent, a cleaner scent, wafted in. They were earlier than Bucky’s text messages predicted.

Climbing out of the car, pulling out of a cooler (filled with soda and ice from the clunking sounds inside) was Bucky with a new black and gold prosthetic arm and a longer but less gnarled haircut, his tee shirt was cut to fit instead of concealing, and Steve felt his throat dry.

“Bucky?”

Then Shuri noticed Steve, nudged Bucky and pointed in Steve’s direction, before taking the cooler and prodding Bucky in Steve’s general direction.

She whispered something to Bucky that Steve couldn’t hear, but hoped it was “Go talk to him.”

Seeing the shy, but slightly more confident expression, Bucky started in Steve’s direction.

Bucky smiled, and suddenly Steve’s mouth was dry.

“Steve, it’s great to see you,” Bucky said, and Steve grinned.

“How are you doing Bucky?”

“I’m doing better,” Bucky said, “And I missed you.”

“I missed you too,” Steve answered, “I’m glad to see that you found a pack.”

Steve knew he had to prepare himself for this option because while he thought he was picking up hints from Bucky that Bucky might want to join his pack, he knew logically Buck would probably prefer the Pride since he spent more time with them than the frequent calls and texts he got from Bucky.

“I did, I just needed to discover more about myself before I was ready to join that pack,” Bucky said, “And being part of a pride is nice too.”

Steve’s heart sank a little, but he was happy that Bucky found a family with T’challa’s Panthers.

“So, would you guys be okay with me rejoining you?” Bucky asked.

“What?”

“The pride helped me heal, and they’re family, but you guys helped me first,” Bucky explained, “And I can’t see why I can’t have both.”

Bucky looked a little bashful and he reached his hand out, and Steve held his own out, and Bucky grabbed it.

“We’ll talk about it with the pack tonight,” Steve offered, and feeling a little braver, lead Bucky to the picnic table where Steve unwrapped the plastic bubble wrap, and Bucky looked at the stained-glass portrait below.

  
“Do you like it?”

Bucky grinned and Steve felt Bucky kiss his bearded cheek, “It’s just like I imagined it would look like, thank you, Steve.”

**Author's Note:**

> Fun fact: I considered making Okoye a were-betta fish, but decided not to after remembering that I needed her human for the plot.


End file.
